Adherence to African-Centered Norms and Help Seeking for Emotional Distress Among Black Men

Abstract

Research demonstrates that Black American men are significantly less likely to seek help for mental distress than other gendered or racial groups. Yet, Afrocentric theorists propose that African cultural norms of interdependence may serve as important facilitators in promoting mental health in Black populations. This study explored how Ubuntu—an African construct expressing adherence to principles of compassion, interdependence, and humanism—is associated with help-seeking perceptions among Black men. Results from surveying 300 participants recruited using social media, showed that Black men with higher acceptance toward African cultural norms reported higher inclination to seek mental health services for emotional distress. Implications for future research and practice to improve uptake of mental health services of Black men are provided.

Keywords

cultural norms Afrocentric Ubuntu mental health help-seeking behaviors emotional distress

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